March 16, (THEWILL) – Arsenal fortified its second position in the English Premier League with a 1-0 victory over London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Mikel Merino scored the winning goal in the first half, heading home from a Martin Odegaard corner to end Arsenal’s three-match winless streak in the league.
Chelsea entered the match without influential midfielder Cole Palmer due to injury, his first EPL absence since April 2024.
The visitors struggled to establish any offensive rhythm throughout the contest, failing to penetrate Arsenal’s defensive structure or maintain possession in the opposition half during the opening stages.
Mikel Arteta’s team dominated proceedings from the outset, with Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Martinelli all coming close before Merino found the breakthrough in the 20th minute.
David Raya caused momentary concern for the home supporters when he nearly mishandled Marc Cucurella’s volley before half-time, but Arsenal maintained their advantage.
The home side continued to control the match after the interval, with Merino almost doubling the lead through a second-half volley that required an excellent save from Robert Sanchez.
Arsenal comfortably managed the remainder of the game to claim all three points in the London derby.
The result leaves Arsenal 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool while maintaining a four-point cushion over third-placed Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea stays fourth in the standings, just one point ahead of Manchester City and two points clear of Newcastle United, who have a game in hand.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
